The Houston Business Journal has tapped Alan Bush as a freelance contributor again. His latest article, "5 things every employer needs to know about non-compete agreements," hit the journal on July 15 with the list of Houston's largest labor and employment law firms.

Here's what Alan had to say about non-competes:

Hot industries - like the energy sector - have squeezed Houston's experienced workforce to the point that there are more key job openings than folks to fill them. Many companies are looking to hire experienced workers from competitors. Noncompetes, a contract in which an employee promises not to touch certain markets or customer accounts for some period of time, can make or break the deal...